Power Outages Plague Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Restorations Underway

Power is slowly being restored to Kalgoorlie-Boulder, the Goldfields city in Western Australia, after widespread outages brought the region to a standstill. The city’s water supply, fuel stations, internet connections, and communications services were all affected by the power loss. About 1,600 people in Kalgoorlie-Boulder remain without power, while thousands in the wider region are also experiencing outages. The Department of Fire and Emergency Services has warned residents to be prepared for potential power outages lasting up to seven days.

Western Power spokesperson, Zane Christmas, reported that one of Kalgoorlie’s primary backup generators, which had initially failed, is now back online. However, this is only a temporary solution and unable to supply the overall load adequately. The restoration of the damaged power line is still in progress. Traffic lights in Kalgoorlie have been restored by Main Roads, but the city and nearby Coolgardie are still facing fuel shortages. Western Power released images showing massive transmission lines that were completely toppled by the force of the storm.

Kalgoorlie-Boulder Mayor Glenn Wilson expressed relief at the partial restoration of power, but acknowledged that blackouts are persisting in some parts of the city and surrounding communities in the Goldfields region. The restoration efforts are ongoing, and another briefing is scheduled later in the day. Meanwhile, thousands of people in the Goldfields and Wheatbelt regions have been urged by health authorities to take immediate measures to ensure their safety during extreme heat conditions. Kalgoorlie Regional Hospital has already treated 20 heat-related presentations, and following health advice will help reduce pressure on emergency departments.

Premier Cook defended the resilience of Western Australia’s power network and commended Western Power for the swift restoration efforts. However, he acknowledged the need to review backup systems to ensure their reliability. The opposition blamed the state government for the outage, highlighting their failure to address previous backup system issues. The government has been urged to utilize the budget surplus to avoid such prolonged power interruptions. Dr. Kylie Sterry of Plaza Medical Centre lamented the closure of the facility due to the blackout, having a significant impact on patients unable to see a doctor in 40-degree heat. She advised residents to seek shade, wear light clothing, and stay hydrated.

The power outage was a result of an intense storm that hit the regions during a heatwave. The storm caused widespread damage, including trees being torn down and roofs being ripped off. Western Power attributed the outage to a lightning strike that significantly damaged the 220-kilovolt transmission line supplying Kalgoorlie. Repairing the five towers that collapsed due to the storm will take considerable time. Western Power’s alternative generation supply arrangement at the West Kalgoorlie Terminal with Synergy, which acts as a backup power supply, also faced technical issues during the storm. While one generator is now online, full restoration will take several days.